Shoe stretcher



May 26, 1925. 1,539,727

7 C. A. ELMSTROM SHOE STRETCHER Filed Feb. 19. 1923 I I 75617 I j '5 mwtrwzz Patented May 26, 1925 CARL A. ELMSTROLT, OF Iv'IEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE STRETCHER.

Application filed February 19, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAnn A. I lmrs'rnoar, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of lsiliddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shoe Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shoe stretcher of the type comm-o :ly used by retail shoe dealers and repaire 'ng shoes and in relieving pressure at a desired point therein.

It is the general object of my invention to improve the construction of such stretcher-s, making them more economical to manufacture, more easily assembled and less liable to derangement and breakage when in use.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one half of my improved shoe stretcher, certain parts being shown in section along the line l-'l in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional plan views, taken along the lines 22 and 33 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a shoe stretcher comprising a pair of last blocks 10, which together form the toe portion of a shoe last, separated along a vertical longitudinal plane. A link 11 is inserted in recesses 12 in the inner faces of the blocks 10 and is pivotally held therein by pins 13 driven upward from the bottom of each block. A compression coil spring lat is positioned in pockets 15 in the inner faces of the blocks 10 at the rear of the link 11 and acts to move the toe portions of the blocks 10 toward each other.

An actuating rod 16 is provided with a handle 17 and is threaded in a cylindrical nut 18 having laterally extending lugs 19.

Serial No. 619,791.

The nut 18 is positioned in recesses 20 (Fig. l) in the inner walls of the blocks 10 and the lugs 19 extend into lateral openings 21 in the blocks 10.

An arrow-shaped head 22 is rotatably 5 mounted on the reduced end of the actuatingrod 16 and slides in Wedge-shaped grooves 23 also formed in the inner faces of the blocks 10. In assembling the parts, one

of the pins 13 is inserted through one end of 5 the link 11 and the blocks 10 are then placed side by side with the link 11, spring l t, the lugs 19 and the head 22, all in their proper recesses. The remaining pin 13 is then driven through the other end of the link 11,

pivotally connecting the blocks 10 and retaining the spring 14 and the spreading mechanism in operative position.

lVith this construction, any strain or pressure upon the parts is received by the sub- (;5

stantial link 11, and thus the spring 14 and the spreading mechanism is subjected to no destructive strain.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but What I claim is A shoe stretcher comprising a. pair of last blocks having recesses in their adjacent inner sides, a flat link positioned in said recesses and pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said blocks, a compression spring positioned between said blocks and at the rear of said link, said spring yieldingly forcing the toe portions of said blocks toward each other, a wedge-shaped stretching device located between the front portions of said blocks, and means to force said stretching device lengthwise of said last to 35 

